CHARTER RECOMMENDS 11 AMENDMENTS TO CITY CHARTER

The Charter Review Committee has proposed 11 amendments to the city charter, many of them dealing with city finances.

At its meeting Monday, the committee asked that City Attorney Warren Wells review the recommended charter amendments, research the legal issues and provide proper ballot wording.

Wells said that could take 60 days.

The amendments proposed to go to the city council include the creation of an ethics commission, term limits for the mayor and council posts, and an approval vote of fee and tax increases greater than 5 percent in any fiscal year.

Other proposed amendments: Reduce council residency requirements; define a balanced budget; create an emergency fund; require disclosure of debt; revise utility franchise provisions; restrict intra-fund loans; and prohibit licensing of trades and professions and add an ethics preamble to the charter.

The committee plans to look over the whole package, including possible election dates, before presenting its report to the city council.

Voter approval is needed to implement any of the proposed charter changes.

Committee Chairman Paul Stehr said he expects the charter amendments to be submitted to the council by the first of the year at the latest.

A former mayor, Stehr said the committee is only making recommendations. "The council could wipe us out tomorrow," he noted.

In a discussion about a related issue, committee member Loretta Schneider assailed the professionalism of City Manager J. Ronald Fischer.

"I think his lack of city management is evident," Schneider said of Fischer.

Fischer, a former grocer, doesn't have a degree in public administration or city management.

Fischer has been involved in city and county government in the past.

Schneider said the city needs some written qualifications for city manager.

But fellow committee members argued against putting such restrictions in the city charter.

Committee member Peter Hilty, who previously served on the council, said the best city manager isn't always the one who has the most professional training.